


Fei Long's Birthday prompt

by ladyfeather



Series: Fills to Prompts/Memes [4]
Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: Birthday, M/M, Rivalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-01
Updated: 2016-03-03
Packaged: 2018-05-18 05:49:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5900683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyfeather/pseuds/ladyfeather
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for a prompt in the Club Sion Community for Fei Long Liu's birthday that would span four weeks.<br/>Week one required the use of four words [winter, water, Tao, blue] and mention Fei's birthday.<br/><b>Warning</b>: A pwn'd Fei</p><p>All mentioned characters belong to Yamane Ayano. She very graciously allows us to play with them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. He's Lucky That I Love Him, Otherwise....

**He's Lucky That I Love Him, Otherwise....**

 Tao been in a rather subdued mood ever since the Gregorian New Year celebration, and the mood seemed to deepen the closer it got to the traditional Chinese celebration, only a few weeks away. Fei had no idea what had caused this normally rambunctious child to change so drastically. Usually he had plenty of energy but now it seemed to have disappeared. Any questions he asked were answered by, "Nothing special, Fei-sama," while a lack-luster smile tried unsuccessfully to convey a happier mood. Something had to have happened, possibly at school, that Tao didn't want to tell him; maybe Yoh knew. Tao was around Yoh more than him.

 Tao was already in bed and asleep when Yoh entered Fei's office for any last minute orders before he too retired for the evening. Fei motioned for Yoh to take a seat, putting a concerned look on Yoh's face.

 "You take care of Tao; have you noticed anything that has been bothering him lately? He seems quite - well, not depressed, but brooding over something. I've talked with him and he seems to be reluctant to discuss it with me."

 Yoh sighed, knowing from the start that he would probably be the one to bring up the subject that was bothering Tao; he had hoped that Tao would get the courage up to ask his Fei-sama. "This started right after the New Year, correct?" Fei answered in agreement. "I thought so." Yoh shifted in his chair, readying for a lengthy talk.

 "When he returned to school after the New Year's holiday several of his classmates were all excited about a trip they took just before returning to school. It seems they went to Harbin for the opening of the Ice and Snow Festival. From what they told him he wants to go too, but thinks that you won't go since it's so cold there. He only wants to go if you are with him, but he's afraid to ask you. He's been trying to come up with a good reason to convince you that it's a good idea and will make you want to go."

 Fei inhaled sharply. "Harbin?! Does he really know how cold it is in that frozen wasteland? Their summer temperatures are the same as our winter temps!*" Fei stood and started to pace a bit in the room. Suddenly he turned quickly and faced Yoh, deep concern on his face. "Why would he be afraid to ask me?"

 Yoh was smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in his suit jacket. "I really don't know. Children think differently than adults." Yoh knew that Tao has seen and heard Fei's temper outbursts on many occasions, some rather recently, and obviously he didn't want to be on the receiving end, but Yoh didn't dare say that to Fei.

 Fei was terribly confused by this unusual problem. "When does he think we can go? The Chinese New Year in February 8th and we already have plans to celebrate it here in Hong Kong. January is almost half over."

 With a slight smile he replied, "He was thinking about the end of January because sometimes the festival ends mid-February - it depends on the temperatures. He wanted to make it as late as possible knowing that you would need time to make reservations. He even picked out a hotel to stay in. He was hoping that the both of you could go from the Ice Festival in Harbin to the New Year's celebration here. The little rascal is trying to put several weeks of vacation together. I think he misses you since you have been traveling heavily for the past few months."

 "I was never that conniving when I was a kid," Fei muttered to himself as he shook his head. Tao had a charisma that let him get his way quite often. He didn't doubt that the child could take a steak from a tiger's mouth and be unharmed.

 "Pardon my saying so but from what you've told me, you never had the childhood that you are giving Tao. You could never have asked for anything so selfish of your father. I daresay you never had a childhood in the truest sense of the word."

 Suddenly Fei felt much older than he did 15 minutes ago, loudly exhaling a very exasperated breath. Yoh was absolutely correct in his statements, and he couldn't get angry; unwanted memories surged through his mind. He remained silent for a few minutes before asking, "Is there a chance we can book a suite at whatever hotel it is that he's chosen? And what about security? I do know that Harbin's Festival is one of the most attended anywhere in Asia."

 Yoh stood and replied, "I'll check on it right away and get back to you tomorrow morning with what I can arrange. Is there anything else?"

Fei made to wave him off but quickly added, "Just make sure it doesn't conflict with anything important that is already scheduled in that time slot. Good night Yoh. And please have Tao ask me, and soon. I don't want this completely arranged by a third party."

 "Certainly." Yoh closed the door behind him and smiled. He had already made the three-day reservation when Tao first had come up with the idea. Even the private jet was reserved for the flight to and from Harbin. If things had not worked out he would have cancelled the plans, but the fact that it was Tao's idea made him think it would happen.

 As much as a tyrant Fei could be, he was a pushover for Tao. And Fei had been rather stressed lately due to all the travel, so a vacation would be in his best interest. Now to get Tao to ask him without letting him know it was already planned. He had even worked the reservations around Fei's birthday. Tomorrow would be busy.

#=#=#=#=#

 Yoh had picked up Tao at school as usual and convinced him that if he didn't ask soon it would be too late to make any reservations. So after school the next day, once his homework was done, Tao cautiously went to Fei's office and knocked on the door. Yoh was in with Fei discussing some minor details of a contract meeting and called out to have the boy enter. After he entered Yoh moved to a distant area of the office and looked through some files.

 Tao looked so afraid that Fei just wanted to pick him up and tell him that it was all right; he would take him to Harbin. But he also knew by doing that it would upset Tao; he had been worrying about asking him for so long and to find out that he already knew from someone else would break his heart.

"Um, Fei-sama, several times you asked me what was bothering me. I finally decided that I should tell you. um, it's really something that I want to do." With his head slightly down, Tao's eyes were looking everywhere but at Fei. "Some of my friends from school went to Harbin over the New Year's holiday. They told me how beautiful it was and, um, I'd like to go, if you'll take me." Finally his eyes met Fei's, and with the most serious face Fei had ever seen on Tao. "Oh, but it's OK if you're too busy, and I know it's really cold there, but if you have maybe a day or two...."

 The emotions that Fei saw in the child's eyes made it that he couldn't say no, even if his schedule was booked 24 hours every day for the next month. "Why were you afraid to ask me?" Fei held his hand out to Tao, motioning him to come around the other side of the desk.

 Again the head went down. "Fei-sama, you've been in a rather bad mood lately and I didn't want to get you even angrier." The start of tears was evident in those sad eyes.

 Fei reached out and gently lifted his chin. "Tao, don't ever be afraid to talk to me. I will always listen to you. If you are wrong about something I will correct you, but I will never get angry because you asked me something. Do you understand?"

 Tao shook his head and put his arms around Fei. Fei returned the hug as Yoh quietly left the room. He could hear Tao's animated chatter as he related what he had heard about Harbin. He had heard it all before, several times, so he moved away leaving Tao happily telling Fei all about Harbin; he had pressing business elsewhere.

 #=#=#=#=#

 As Yoh and Tao rode to school Tao's mood had done a complete 180. Since they left the estate he was prattling on about, "... we can go see the sculptures and take the ice raft tour and go for a sleigh ride and make snowmen and...."

 Yoh couldn't believe how hyper the small child had become. "Tao, stop! You do remember that I could only arrange the trip for three days? And Fei-sama is not going to want to be out in that cold for every minute of the trip. There are other things to do inside, like watch a hockey game or something. Also, I did manage to get it to coincide with his birthday - you'll want to celebrate that one evening too."

Tao looked surprised; in his desire to see Harbin he had completely forgotten about Fei-sama's birthday being so close. In a worried tone he muttered, "Oh, I have to get him a gift! What do you think he would like?" Still embarrassed that he had forgotten the birthday he tried to figure out something to make it up to Fei-sama. He suddenly blurted out, "And what kind of party? Did he have parties when he was a kid? " Tao looked worried again. "Now I have something else to figure out!" he moaned.

 Yoh smiled sadly; he could only guess as to the childhood Fei had lived through. He was an experienced assassin by the age of 18 and that didn't allow time for birthday celebrations, much less parties. "I don't think Fei-sama ever had a birthday party, so you will have to make this one special."

 With a shocked look on his face Tao stuttered out, "Ne-never?" The thought that someone would never have had a party for their birthday was unheard of. Since he had been with Fei-sama he had one every year, but he had never had one for Fei-sama since he said he didn't need one.

 "Then I'll just have to find him a nice gift to make up for all those birthdays that he didn't have a party." His little brow wrinkled as he began to think about what he could get as a gift.

 Yoh smiled and shook his head as Tao exited the car at the school, the weight of finding the solution to another problem on his young mind. _The innocence of childhood._

 Once he returned from school he closed himself up in his room after telling Yoh not to bother him until dinner. Yoh said 'fine' but wondered what the child had up his sleeve this time.

 Tao picked up his phone to call the only person he knew that could possibly help him with this new predicament, Akihito. He hit the speed-dial for Akihito, hoping his friend was able to talk to him now, otherwise he'd have to call back later in the evening.

"Tao, hi! How are you?" The cheerful voice bolstered Tao's mood.

 "Akihito, I have a problem to solve and I need your help."

 Akihito picked up on the sadness in Tao's voice and settled down for a long talk with his young friend. "What's wrong Tao?"

 Tao's emotions flooded out in a torrent of words. "My friends from school went to Harbin over the holiday and I wanted to go too but I couldn't get up the courage to ask Fei-sama to take me 'cuz he doesn't like the cold but I wanted to go so bad and I finally asked him and he said we could go but I forgot all about Fei-sama's birthday and now I have to get him something really nice for his birthday that I can give him at the party I want for him 'cuz Yoh said he never had a party ever and...."

 Akihito chuckled. "Tao, slow down and breathe!" From what he could decipher from the flood of words they were going to Harbin and Tao wanted to have a birthday party for Fei. "When and where are you having the party?"

 "At the hotel I picked out in Harbin. Yoh made the reservations to include Fei-sama's birthday. I want something nice since he never had a party with presents and a cake. So the gift has to be really special since it would be his first party..."

 "OK, I get it. How much money do you have to spend?" He knew that Tao wouldn't have excessive amounts of money to spend but that didn't matter. If he helped him out then he wouldn't need a lot.

Tao mumbled an amount and Akihito knew he was correct. Now to just figure out what would be best to get the Chinese crimelord.

 "I thought about a lot of things but he has so much. He has plenty of fans and hairclips and I can't afford any clothing for him, and anyway he's really picky about what he wears. I guess I could get him a hairbrush or comb or a special teacup, but that's so ordinary." He let out a deep sigh after he finished.

 "How about maybe a dragon? A nice figurine he could put in his office?" Ryuichi entered the room just as Akihito had mentioned dragons.

 "Who 's on the phone, and what about dragons?" Ryuichi looked at Akihito in concern.

 After excusing himself for a moment he turned to reply to Ryuichi. "It's Tao, and he needs a birthday gift for Fei. I suggested a dragon figurine."

 Ryuichi snorted. "Better make it an ice dragon; it suits his personality to a 'T'," and he turned and left the room, but not before receiving an icy 'that was not necessary' look from Akihito.

 Tao had heard the conversation and commented, "An ice dragon?"

 Knowing that he had to override the suggestion by Ryuichi he said, "How about a blue dragon? It would be a reminder, a nice one, of your trip to Harbin? You think that would be good?"

 Tao didn't need to think any further. It was a dragon like his Fei-sama and it would be blue like the snow and ice was at nighttime. Or at least that's what it looked like to him in the pictures he'd seen. He'd never really been in that kind of climate before, and it looked beautiful.

"But where do I get one? I don't know of any stores that would sell dragons." The distress was returning to his voice.

 "How about I see if I can find one for you? I'll send you pictures and you can choose which one you like." Akihito knew that this was the best solution to Tao's predicament.

 "Could you? Thanks Akihito, I knew you could help me." Laughter tinted his voice.

 "I'll start looking tonight and if I find anything I'll send you the pictures, OK?" Akihito knew that what he wanted cost much more than Tao had saved, but he would send prices that were just a little bit more than what he had, so he would have to add a little from his next few allowances. That way Tao would know that it really was a special gift he had bought.

 Yoh found out at dinner what he had been up to; it seems Tao had contacted Akihito and asked him what to get for Fei-sama. Tao wouldn't say what it was but evidently he and Akihito had come up with something they felt was special. He actually dreaded finding out exactly what they had agreed to; Tao was only a child and his taste was suspect to begin with, and Akihito did have a rather peculiar sense of humor.

 #=#=#=#=#

 The flight to Harbin was event-free; the weather had been clear and would continue for the next few days. There was a limousine waiting at the airport to take them to the hotel. The security guards were already there and had checked out the area. They passed some of the sculpture areas and got a decent view of what had been created for this year's festival. Tao was beside himself and Yoh noticed that even Fei seemed to be enjoying the scenery.

 Once they reached the hotel their luggage was taken inside while Yoh gathered the room keys. Fei and Tao got to look around the immense lobby of the hotel. There was a fountain in the center of the lobby and its water had been tinted a slight blue, giving it the illusion of liquid ice. The fountain framework was built to resemble ice blocks. The lighting also had a light blue tint, and most of the furniture and the draperies were a royal blue with silver trim. It gave the area a very cool feel; it was like they were trying to bring the outdoors indoors.

 Tao, as usual, had packed Fei's clothes for the trip. Fei had watched him try to decide what Fei would need for a vacation to such a cold area. He did manage to pull out one of the more formal of Chinese outfits Fei kept for very special occasions - a changshan made of a heavier silk and wool. Tao was making sure that Fei-sama had something warm to wear. After Tao had finished he added a few items to the suitcase that Tao had overlooked. Fei realized that the first order of business was to buy some warmer outerwear - they would freeze to death within an hour if they tried to wear what they had packed.

 Fei had also packed a small bag with more personal items that he might need. Since this was a vacation he hoped that he might get some rare free time with Yoh once Tao went to sleep; it had been a while since they had some private time. And it would be in Yoh's room of course.

 They had finally settled in their suite, outerwear purchased and stored for use tomorrow. Fei stood at the window in the main room, studying the surprisingly beautiful view. He could see many ice sculptures in the distance, each lit with a different color. He sighed deeply, his breath causing the window to fog over before quickly dissipating. He turned away from the window, moving to the bedroom to make sure that he was attired properly for the dinner. Tao had given him the blue and silver cheongsam to wear. Evidently the hotel's color scheme was affecting Tao.

 This was all Tao's doing - he knew it. No one else in their right mind would choose such a spot for a birthday celebration and dinner. He wondered how much this short trip was going to cost him. Just then Tao ran into the room to tell him that it was time to go to dinner, and that Yoh was already heading downstairs to the private dining room.

 The dining room was also decorated in blue and silver, like most of the hotel. The three of them sat at a round table, done in silver and white. The napkins, flowers, and candles were ice blue. They were asked what they wanted for drinks it was decided that lemonade would do; Tao wasn't old enough to drink and Fei didn't handle it well. Yoh was the odd man out but opted not to change the order.

 When they got their drinks they too were blue. Blueberries floated in the lemonade and enough dye was added to give it a blue tint. Dinner was much the same. It seemed they had a special 'blue menu' that Tao ordered from. He had ordered salt-baked trout - a lustrous blue skinned fish - and bird nests made from blue potatoes held assorted vegetables. A rice dish had various shades of blue rice mixed in with the white.

 Somehow both Fei and Yoh managed to get through the dinner without losing their composure. Neither had ever seen such a gaudy display. It may be a 4 star hotel but their atmosphere was nowhere near 4. Both had seen seedy sidewalk cafes with better decorating style. But it had been Tao's choice and he was very happy so neither man said a word.

 Once the meal was over a cake was brought in, both Fei and Yoh breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that it wasn't blue - just white with silver candles and a silver snowflake adorning the top. While Fei cut the cake for everyone Tao pulled a large box from under the table.

 Carefully holding the box he walked to Fei, an anxious look on his face. "This is for your birthday. I got it special, just for you. It won't make up for your not ever having a birthday party but it might help you remember this one, even if it is only three of us."

 Fei was touched. A quick glance at Yoh told him that he had been helping Tao with this from the start. "But it is the best party that I've ever seen. Thank you Tao." He could see that Tao had wrapped the gift himself; the corners weren't quite folded right but it was done with loving care. It was wrapped in gold foil with a wide red ribbon wrapped around the sides and tied at the top. After giving Tao a kiss on the forehead Fei took the box and opened it. Fei gasped as he opened the box; the gift was beautiful - a sculpted, iridescent, pale blue lead crystal dragon with his wings unfurled. "This is beautiful Tao. I will treasure it always. But why is it blue?"

 "I wanted a fire dragon, like you are, but fire dragons melt ice and snow and I wanted something to remind you of our trip here - so it had to be blue, like real ice."

 Fei immediately knew that this was a very expensive piece. He pulled the child to his lap and gave him a loving hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Did you have help purchasing this? I don't think you allowance would cover this. Did Yoh help you?"

 Tao bit his lip. "No, but Akihito did. I called him to get some ideas of what to get for you. We were talking about getting a dragon and I heard Asami mention an ice dragon. Akihito laughed and said that maybe a blue dragon would be a nice reminder of our vacation here. He even found one and sent it to me. I have to pay him back when I can, but I think it will take a while. I gave him most of what I had saved up."

 Fei didn't know whether to laugh or scream. He glanced at Yoh who indicated that he had no idea as to where the child had gotten it. Then he looked at Tao, who was bubbling with delight that his Fei-sama had liked his gift. Perhaps he'd increase his allowance a little.

  _Looks like this time I have to swallow my anger for a while, but the next time I see Asami...._

* * *

* Average summer temperature in Harbin is 78°F [25.5°C] ; average winter temperature in Hong Kong is the same.

 

 

 

 


	2. Dragon Boat Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SUMMARY:  
> Written for a meme prompt in the Club Sion Community for Fei Long Liu's birthday that spanned four weeks.  
> Week two required the use of four words [spring, air, Akihito, green] and mention Fei's birthday.

**Dragon Boat Festival**

 Akihito strode out of his boss' office with a very pleased look on his face. The magazine had been working on a new series, "History through Holidays" and he had just netted the next installment - the Dragon Races in China: Hong Kong. He smiled to himself, knowing that Mitarai will be very displeased with him once he finds out that he landed this one.

 The boss never chose Mitarai for the out-of-country assignments; the reason stemmed back to the horrendous expense account he handed in for the one - and only - foreign assignment he did for them. Akihito had hoped he would get the assignment, but really there was little doubt from the editor's point of view - he was the only one experienced enough to handle it. He would have to give Tao a call later on and see if it would be possible to sneak a visit for a day while he was in Hong Kong.

 Akihito hadn't seen either Tao or Fei for some time and he really missed Tao; he was like the little brother he never had. Even though they started off on the wrong foot things had smoothed out. They emailed each other quite often, Tao keeping Akihito informed about the major going-ons in the Baishe household and his activities at school. Normally the subject matter was pleasant but a few times Tao wrote that Fei-sama was in a terrible mood and he wished that Akihito could come and help cheer him up.

 Once he got home he called Tao, knowing that he would be home from school and probably working on his homework. They talked for a while, discussing all those things of importance to a young child. The conversation had started to die down and that was when Akihito asked if it were possible to come for a short visit, maybe take him out to dinner before he had to return to Japan Tao was bubbling with excitement, a new conversation started that lasted another half hour.

 He had sent his final itinerary to Fei so he could help Tao plan anything he wanted to do. It wasn't more than five minutes later when he received a text message, surprised to see it was from Fei. All it said was, 'change your plans - you're staying for a week with us.' He thought about it and decided that he just might be able to swing the extra days. He checked with the boss and he didn't see any major problems with the idea, and it would save the magazine money since there would be no housing costs for the expense account. He agreed that Takaba could finish the article as well in China as he could in Japan and gave his wholehearted approval.

 He'd let Ryuichi know about the trip once he got home; it wasn't important enough to bother him at work. Asami had come to accept that Akihito would have to travel some now that he had switched the focus of his photography career. He felt it was an acceptable price for the peace of mind he had knowing that his lover wasn't putting his life on the line by chasing after corrupt politicians and underworld figures, although he knew that he hadn't totally given up on that line of work. Several articles in the newspapers had all the earmarks of being his work despite the credited name not being his - the photographs screamed Takaba.

 Akihito prepared a dinner for Ryuichi that included a lot of his favorite foods while knowing that he would be at the top of the dessert menu. He was leaving tomorrow morning and Ryuichi insisted on keeping Akihito entertained the night before he left for any assignment that involved being away from home overnight. He always mentioned something about 'reminding him of what he would be missing'. But he did mention that he was a bit concerned that Fei had suggested the longer stay and reminded Akihito that Fei may be an ice dragon when trying to get into his pants but that was not the case when he was interested in someone else. Akihito laughed it off stating that there was no way Fei was going to make any moves on him, and anyway he was going mainly to visit with Tao. Ryuichi reluctantly accepted his answer but Akihito could see the jealousy reflected in his eyes.

 Once all the arrangements had been finalized he emailed both Fei and Tao his arrival flight and time, letting them know that he was able to extend his stay to a week with no problems. But he did let them know that he would have to finish his work before they could enjoy their personal time together. He also sent Fei his scheduled itinerary for the few days he would be working on the assignment. He laughed when he saw the email list of things that Tao wanted to do once he got there, knowing very well that it was impossible to put that much in that few days and actually get some sleep. All Fei replied was, 'We'll met you at the airport'.

 True to his word Fei met him at the airport. Once he had finished with all the official rigmarole required to get out of the airport Fei escorted him to the waiting limousine. Inside was a bouncing Tao who bounded out once he saw the two men advancing toward the car. Akihito caught the young boy as he slammed into him, lifting him up and giving him a welcome kiss on the cheek and a cuddling hug.

 Fei looked annoyed at the boy's behavior but Akihito turned his eyes to Fei and gave him a look that waved him off. "He's just a child and very happy to see an old friend," smiling Akihito turned to face the boy and continued, "aren't you Tao?"

 His exuberance had been tamped down by his guardian's displeasure but it didn't take long for it to return. By the time they were all finally seated in the limo Tao had settled himself on Akihito's lap and was talking his ears off about all sorts of mundane things. Fei endured it until they reached the Baishe headquarters but once there he insisted that Tao go to his room while he and Akihito had a talk.

 Tao pouted a bit but then smiled, he would see him at dinnertime. He waved good-bye to Akihito and sped off to his room saying he had something he needed to get done before dinner. Fei just shook his head; where did that boy get all his energy? Turning his attention to Akihito he motioned him to take a seat while he moved toward the bar. "Do you want anything to drink? I do have some chilled sweet tea here if you'd like." Akihito responded that he would appreciate something cool to drink; the refreshments on the plane were anything but enjoyable.

 Handing the glass to Akihito Fei pulled up the schedule that Akihito had for the next few days. "I know one of the dragon boat crews personally and I've arranged for you to spend a day with them, I hope you don't mind."

 Akihito was astonished. "Really? Wow, that will make the article even more spectacular with behind-the-scenes shots. I've already put together the history of the races - I hadn't realized that they were over 2000 years old. Well, not much in China is new and I knew it was an old celebration but I didn't think…" Akihito trailed off into new thoughts about the age and history of the races and Fei laughed.

"You are so much like Tao with things like this. How are you going to act when I tell you that I've also arranged that you can go on one of the test runs before the race? With your camera?" Fei sipped his tea while he watched with interest as Akihito's face lit up much like a child's at a surprise birthday party.

 Almost too happy and elated to reply all he could stammer out was a mere thank you.

 Fei smiled as he told him, "I owe you for helping Tao out for my birthday, even if it was a rather juvenile attempt at a party."

 Akihito turned his thoughts to when Tao had called him about 'Fei-sama's Birthday'. "Yes, he was so upset that he had forgotten about it. He was distressed that he was more involved in planning to going to Harbin than celebrating your birthday. And when Yoh told him that you never had a birthday party he felt even worse."

 Fei frowned. "Yes, sometimes Yoh doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. And he should have kept a tighter watch on what Tao was doing. The hotel was a huge tourist trap and the dinner was straight from hell but neither of us said a word. We both knew that his heart was in the right place, just not his sense of decorum."

 Akihito interest perked up at the comments. "Hm? There was a problem with the dinner? From what Tao told me it was the best he'd ever seen. Salt baked fish, bird nests of a lot of different vegetables, a fancy rice dish?"

 Fei snorted. "Maybe to a child's eye. And what he didn't mention was that he succumbed to the hotel's decorating theme. Everything in the place was blue; the furniture, rugs, curtains, bedding, even the water in the fountain in the lobby. They had a special Festival Dinner that consisted of everything blue - and he ordered it. The fish was about the only thing they couldn't change but it did have a natural blue skin. The bird's nests were made from blue potatoes, the rice was tinted blue, and worst of all they dyed the lemonade blue!"

 Akihito couldn't stop laughing. He would have loved to have seen Fei's face when the meal was served. "Was the cake blue too?" he managed between giggles.

 "No, it was white with a silver snowflake decorating the top. But it was horribly sweet, although Tao didn't mind. Luckily it was a small cake since he ate most of it. And speaking of birthdays, how was yours? Has Asami finally figured out that he loves you yet? Did he even get you anything? I know you go all out for his birthday."

 Akihito lowered his eyes. "We went out for a gourmet dinner and then spent the rest of the evening quietly at home."

 It was Fei's turn to laugh. "Pffffft! There's no way I'll believe that it was a quiet evening, not with the way I'm told you scream when you are pleasured. So how was that different than any other night in the penthouse?"

 Akihito smiled and raised his gaze to settle on Fei. "He finally said the three words he's been avoiding for so long. And a few others that I never expected." Akihito absently fingered the small key hanging from the gold chain around his neck, mostly hidden by his shirt.

 Fei raised an eyebrow. "He finally gave in? Hmmph. It's about time he realizes what he has with you. If he hadn't made a move soon I was about to step in and try my hand at bringing you back."

 Akihito smiled. "I love you Fei, but not like I love Ryuichi."

 "Oh, it must be serious if you can call him Ryuichi. I guess I'll have to shelve my attempts to lure you back." Fei gave him an honest smile as he wished him luck.

 "You couldn't lure me back, and anyway Yoh wouldn't let you do that. He's in love with you, or haven't you noticed? Are all you crimelords love-blind or something?"

 Akihito swore he could see a faint coloring in Fei's cheeks. "My love life is no concern of yours, nor that of Asami's." Remembering the comment about ice dragons Fei cleared his throat and changed the subject. "I'll take you to your room; you probably need to set things up for your appointments tomorrow. Tao insisted that you take the room across from his." He stood and headed for the door.

 Akihito smiled. Yup, Fei and Yoh had finally admitted a few things to each other, even if it was only admitted when they were in bed together. Setting the now empty glass on the bar he rose and followed Fei to his room.

 The next few days were a whirlwind of activity for Akihito. The dragon boat crew that Fei had arranged for him to work with was an outstanding crew. Fei had sent along a translator since the crew knew no Japanese and what little Chinese Akihito knew wouldn't help him, most of it being curse words. Akihito took hundreds of pictures, both before and during the race, on and off the water. By the time he was done his stay with the team he had 20 new friends, both male and female.

 The shots he managed during the test run were spectacular and added just the right adrenalin to his write-up. For this test run they removed the drum and allowed him to sit in the front of the boat. For the first few minutes all he could do was enjoy the rush of air as it moved past him; with his eyes closed it added to the imagery that he was flying on the back of a dragon. Finally remembering what he was there to do he aimed his camera downward, capturing the image of the hull slicing smoothly through the still water. He turned and got some exceptional shots of the crew doing what they did best - piloting the slim ship through the water toward the imagined finish line. The only person that he hadn't gotten an in-action picture of was the drummer, but he obligingly posed, pounding out the beat as the ship sat moored at their dock

 He hadn't seen another photographer aboard any other boat during the test run races so he pretty much had a scoop on that aspect of the race. When the true race began he was yelling and cheering just as loud for the team as the team management. The team finished second and the celebration lasted well into the next day. Even Fei managed to show up and congratulate the crew.

 It took a full day for Takaba to go through the photos and send off the ones he wanted used with his story. Having written most of the story ahead of time he knew exactly what type of picture he wanted and where, making it quite a bit easier to sift through all the photos he had taken. He had to add text and the images from the test run but that was easy to do. All of the pictures were numbered and were to be placed where the corresponding number was in the text.

 After uploading the pictures and text to the paper's private upload site he sent the email with the instructions on how to assemble the document. He knew that Tao was getting anxious to get Akihito to himself so had wanted to complete his work as soon as possible. He was tired and it was very late, early morning to be exact, as he slid into bed and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

 He was awakened in the morning by one overzealous young boy calling him and tugging at his arm to get him up. "Breakfast is ready Akihito! It's going to get cold and it doesn't taste as good when cold." Cracking open one eye he noted Tao's position and quickly pulled him into the bed and began tickling him unmercifully. The boy had tears streaming from his eyes before Akihito took pity and stopped. As he waited for Tao to catch his breath he asked, "So what's for breakfast?"

 "We've got congee, dim sum, and of course zongzi; it isn't dragon racing time without zongzi. Cook said that you didn't get to taste any over the past few days and made some special zongzi just for you. Cook set everything up in the garden so we can all eat outside!" At that he slipped off the bed and ran out of the room, warning Akihito that he was going to start eating and he'd better hurry if he wanted anything.

 Chuckling to himself he hurried into the bathroom and took a quick shower and brushed his teeth before heading out to join Tao. His hair got a quick combing with his fingers; bed hair was bed hair, whether it was brushed or not. When he got to the garden Fei and Yoh were also having their breakfast. He noticed that his seat was between the Fei and Tao, while Yoh sat to Fei's right.

 It was a beautiful late spring day; almost everything in the garden had gone to full green. Buds were everywhere, and he noticed a few things were still in the early spring lighter green while a few of the bushes showed signs of nearing the end of their blooming cycle. The combined scents of the flowers in bloom permeated the air with their perfumes. It was quite peaceful here, something he wished that he had in Tokyo. But penthouses don't have lush green gardens like this, and such serene quiet is not possible in such a large city.

 Rather than dwell on such an impossibility he asked Tao what they were going to do that day, knowing that the child had been planning some sort of all-day outing with his visiting friend.

 "We're going to see the Ocean Park Grand Aquarium! They've got sharks and manta rays and coral reefs and sea dragons and tunnels that go through the water and…"

 "Tao! Calm down. Akihito will see everything once we get there." Fei closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Akihito sensed movement from Yoh's hand under the table, probably trying to calm Fei. He would have to corner Yoh later on and discuss a few things with him.

 Tao had finished his breakfast so Fei told him to get ready to leave. With a cute bow and a "Yes, Fei-sama" he scampered off to get ready for the all day trip.

 It took another hour to get everything straightened out to begin the trek to the Aquarium. He had to laugh - it wasn't any different here than it was in Tokyo. There were three carloads of special security, one of which was already moving out to get in place at the aquarium. The parade of suited guards that surrounded them as they traversed the aquarium also reminded him of home, and not in a good way. Yes, Fei was Baishe but there were ways to disguise both Fei and the guards - especially the guards. But crimelords seem to have their own way of going about things and it was not necessarily the correct way.

 They managed to tour the aquarium without inconveniencing too many people, although there was quite a bit of staring and backing away. It seems the local populace knew Triad when they saw it. It wasn't often you saw a grown man, handsome though he was, dressed in a cheongsam; that was the trademark of the Baishe leader.

 But Tao was in his glory, watching all the different fishes that swam by all the different windows and bubbles, often grabbing Akihito's hand to show him some odd type of fish. They stopped for lunch in one of the food areas before they continued on. By the time they were ready to leave Yoh had picked up Tao and was carrying the sleepy boy piggyback to the limousine. Several of the other guards were carrying the souvenirs that Tao had purchased while there. Akihito had picked up a small stuffed shark for Ryuichi as a gift; it seemed a fitting choice.

 Once they had returned to the Baishe headquarters Fei took Tao and got him ready for bed. Akihito and Yoh were in the sitting room where Yoh had retrieved several beers from the standing bar, offering one to Akihito. Akihito saw this as his chance to grill Yoh and did.

 With a diabolical smirk on his face he stated, "So you finally managing to melt the ice dragon's heart?"

 "Oh, don't ever let him hear you say that. He's still angry that Asami mentioned that and Tao heard it. Tao took it one way but it was said in another context completely; I know Asami."

 Akihito smiled. "Sorry, bad habit, but I just had to ask. Are you both happy? It seems so from what I've seen so far."

 Yoh nodded. "We have our differences occasionally but for the most part we get along. But I still worry that one day he'll tell me to leave. I would deeply regret it but I would not hesitate to do as he asked. I am actually only his security chief and personal bodyguard. And for Tao also."

 Akihito shook his head. "I don't think that will happen. Maybe he doesn't admit it outright, but there are feelings there for you, deep feelings. He needs you and he won't admit it."

 At that point Fei entered the room. "What are you two whispering about in the corner over there? Anything that I should know about?"

 While Yoh walked over to give Fei a glass of wine Akihito thought quickly and replied, "We were discussing birthdays. Do you realize that the three of us plus Asami represent the four seasons? Fei, you're Winter; Yoh is Fall, I'm Spring and Asami is Summer. And we are all about three months apart. Odd isn't it?"

 Fei tilted his head and pursed his lips. "That is rather unusual for four unrelated people, isn't it?"

 Yoh nodded a thanks to Akihito and for the rest of the evening the three men discussed nothing important in general and actually enjoyed each other's company and the time spent together.

 The next three days were spent entertaining Tao, who had a list of plans that would take at least two weeks to do, if one gave up sleeping. Akihito helped him pare down the list but they were still very busy. Tao had even asked Akihito to attend his school so he could introduce him to all his classmates. While scolding Tao for treating his friend as a show and tell object Fei just placed his hand on his forehead when Akihito silenced him and agreed to go. Yoh was enjoying seeing Fei at a loss for control in this situation, which in turn was also aggravating Fei.

 It was time for Akihito to return home and several teary goodbyes were made as he readied to board the plane. Fei was in a devilish mood and just as Akihito was about to head down the ramp he grabbed him and gave him a kiss, full on the mouth, with his arm around his waist. Akihito never noticed the flash.

 As he started up the steps of the plane he realized that he had a text message from Yoh. It read, " _Fei's gotten his revenge. Brace for stormy weather once your home._ "


	3. Fire and Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for a meme prompt in the Club Sion Community for Fei Long Liu's birthday that spanned four weeks.  
> Week three required the use of four words [summer, fire, Asami, red] and mention Fei's birthday.
> 
> All mentioned characters belong to Yamane Ayano. She very graciously allows us to play with them.

**Fire and Ice**

_"Fei's gotten his revenge_. _Brace for stormy weather once you're home."_ the text from Yoh had said, and he had attached a copy of the photo too. He had to admit it looked quite damaging; with his hands full of his camera equipment he couldn't push Fei away. Anyway, the shock of the sudden kiss caught him unaware and unable to respond other than to accept it. He examined the photo; it did give the appearance of possibly being consensual. Once he calmed down he would call Fei and let him know that he did not appreciate being used like that, and even let Yoh have a piece of his mind while he was at it.

 Akihito pondered this during the flight home and had a sinking feeling that he knew what Yoh meant. _That kiss at the airport had to have been purposely staged by Fei, and Ryuichi undoubtedly has received a photo of the incident. How childish can they get? Don't crimelords have any common sense? All this fuss because he felt that Ryuichi insulted him by calling him an ice dragon? So Fei retaliates and involves me, who Ryuichi considers his personal property? That's not right either; I am not property! His possessiveness is still a major problem after all this time; Fei knew it and used it to his advantage. And Yoh, I thought better of him - I guess that his concern for Fei has placed him in the middle of this mess. It's not that he hasn't been on the sidelines since the beginning. He was brought in right after the shootings to watch over Fei. He didn't have to warn me either, so maybe he's being used here too._

 Akihito closed his eyes and sighed deeply; he wondered how long those two would continue their petty squabble. They had never fully put to rest their differences from all those years ago; he even doubted that either one had seriously tried. True, they had met several times and straightened out the misconception of who shot whom, but they didn't resolve anything in the romantic line. Here were two grown men acting like kindergarteners. He was surprised that so far he hadn't received either a call or text from Ryuichi demanding to know why he allowed Fei to do such a thing. Well, he hoped that no news was good news, though if it involved Asami Ryuichi he doubted it. By the time he arrived at Narita his temperament had soured.

 It was late evening when they arrived and as he entered the terminal he saw his expected escort, Suoh. There was little way to miss him; he stood a good head height over everyone else. He didn't look happy. Akihito went through the routine of complying with the procedures necessary to leave the airport, grabbed his luggage, and then headed straight for Suoh. There was no sense trying to avoid the impending doom; he'd face it like a man. Which is more than he can say about his two favorite crimelords.

 "So where are we headed, Sion or home, and how angry is he?" He didn't even try to hide his displeasure with the current situation.

 Suoh replied tersely, "Home and very. He's been impossible to deal with since he received the email from Fei. Kirishima managed to get a glimpse of what was sent - why the hell did you let him kiss you like that, and in such a public place?"

 Akihito took exception to the tone that Suoh was using; he didn't need to get attitude from Asami's hired help. He'd get all he needed plus some from Asami once he arrived.

 "Do you really think that I enjoyed or even encouraged that?" fumed Akihito. "Fei did that to push Asami's buttons, and it looks like it worked very well, and even spread to his employees. I'm not happy with being used as something to relay insults between two bickering crimelords."

 Suoh realized that he said something out of turn and started to apologize but Akihito was in no mood to hear it; he waved off his words with a hand gesture and a glare. Sufficiently chastised Suoh continued the drive to the penthouse in silence.

 As he rode up on the elevator Akihito tried his best to relax, but the fact that even Suoh chose to question his part in all this just kept him from calming down like he knew he should. He hoped that Ryuichi's temper had eased up a bit because right now he'd take him on, point for point.

 He entered the penthouse and went directly to his workshop area; he would deal with Ryuichi later. His first concern was to take care of the photos he had taken and download everything to his backup drives. The photos were more important than a petty feud between Fei and Ryuichi. He had just finished when he noticed the figure leaning against the doorframe, arms folded across his chest, and leveling an intense gaze in his direction.

 "How was your trip, did you have a good time?" The words sounded casual but Akihito felt the venom that was laced through the greeting.

 "Can it with the niceties Ryuichi. I know you've seen the picture and are hopping mad about it." Akihito turned off his computer and rose to face the man. "If you have that little faith in me and think that kiss was consensual then I don't belong here. I just wish you guys would just settle this quarrel once and for all. Right now I'm tired and have a few things to finish before I hit the sack. In MY room since you don't trust me." He grabbed his luggage that contained his dirty laundry and headed for the washer, quickly brushing past the older man before he could latch onto one of his arms. Once he finished filling the washer he'd grab something to eat and head off to bed.

 Ryuichi had followed him to the laundry room. "It may be that you knew nothing about being kissed at the airport. Then perhaps you shouldn't accept any invitations from him ever again since he doesn't know how to behave."

 Akihito erupted at those words. "Fei was a perfect gentleman for the whole time I was there. The four of us had a very refreshing vacation together. I refuse to ignore the man just because you are jealous, seeing red, feel insulted, or whatever it is you're harboring in that head of yours. And you don't have the right to choose whom I can call my friends. End of discussion."

 He could feel Ryuichi's eyes on him; he put together a small salad, although the atmosphere in the penthouse was rapidly fading his appetite. He ate quickly then retired to his room, locking the door behind him. Entering the private bath attached to his room he stripped and stepped into the shower, allowing the warm water to help ease the stress in his body. He cut the shower short since he was quite tired; the stress from Ryuichi confronting him added to the fatigue. Not bothering to unlock his door he climbed into bed and nodded off before very long.

 The next few days were eerily quiet in the penthouse. Every time that Ryuichi tried to talk to Akihito he would leave the room, not allowing him to say anything. Then one morning he awoke to someone knocking lightly on his bedroom door. He got out of bed to find Ryuichi standing outside the door. As he was about to close the door in his face he heard Ryuichi say, "I'm sorry."

#=#=#=#=#

 Time stands still for no one and it was now mid-summer; and even though nothing had been successfully settled between Ryuichi and Fei they had calmed considerably. But now there were other troubles on the horizon. Someone had been slowly but deliberately setting fire to Asami's warehouses; millions of yen had gone up in smoke over the past six weeks and most of what was lost was uninsurable contraband. The waterfront had been painted red for days on end. After doing a bit of research and calling in favors Asami had finally uncovered who was behind it. It seems that one of the other triads that he had a contract with decided that their cut wasn't large enough. Their leader Jian li Yin had petitioned Asami but he refused to renegotiate a contract that was less than a year old.

 Once he knew who had done the destruction it was fairly easy to uncover other deceptions the man had instituted. Quite a few of Yin's men were in Tokyo since he had several of his own warehouses and kept a full-time contingent available permanently in Tokyo. When they raided the triad's warehouses they found quite a bit of Asami's goods store there. Upon deeper investigation there had been small but consistent shortages in the shipments from Yin being received in the warehouse. The percentages weren't high by any means but they were of a higher percentage than any of Asami's other contracts. Needless to say Asami now had more reason to settle the score with this foolish leader.

 Asami had his men round up all of the triad's members they could locate and had them incarcerated in one of his remote headquarters. He had ordered that one of them be allowed to contact Yin, but to make it seem that they had done so on the sly. By doing this the prisoners would be much easier to handle since they would believe that their boss was on the way to release them. After they were all settled in their new 'home' Asami had their warehouses raided and all the goods taken to his own storage areas, or in some cases back to his warehouses. He knew a face-to-face meeting with Yin would be required to set things straight, one that he preferred to be in one of the 'private' warehouses, but he would at least make it look like he was trying to be receptive by first organizing a private meeting for the release of his men.

 They were just beginning to empty the warehouses when Asami's phone rang. A very irate Jian Li Yin was on the other end demanding to know why his men were being detained. Asami allowed the man to prattle on until he could take no more of his whining and took control of the conversation.

 "You ordered your men to set fire to my warehouses because you wanted out of a deal that you had agreed to in good faith. You wanted recompense for what you felt you should have gotten in a better deal. I don't appreciate that kind of behavior from my business associates and I took steps to correct it. If you wish me to release your men you will need to meet with me, face to face, to explain your behavior. I'll be expecting you here in Tokyo in two days, one o'clock sharp at Sion. Good evening." And with that Asami hung up.

 The phone rang almost immediately but seeing it was Yin again Asami refused to pick up. He had told him what he wanted; he was not going to allow him to try talking his way out. All discussions would be held in two days and Asami already knew the outcome of the talks. If he was extremely lucky Yin would survive the encounter and his men would be shipped out of Japan with a warning to never come back. But Asami didn't believe in luck, and neither should Yin.

 It was the day of the destined meeting and Asami was in his office. He knew that Kirishima would let him know when Yin arrived but he would make him wait for at least a half hour before meeting with him. The plan changed when Kirishima reported that Yin hadn't arrived alone; he had come with Liu Fei Long. Asami did some quick thinking - why would Fei be here with that low-life? Were they working together? He abruptly got up, ordered Kirishima to alert Suoh to gather a few extra men and wait outside the conference room, before he hastened to meet the unexpected guest, only just holding his temper in check.

 As he entered the conference room he took in the five occupants in the room. Yin was dressed in traditional Chinese clothing and was flanked by two very efficient looking security personnel that he knew were Baishe men, while Fei had only Yoh beside him. The four other men were dressed in contemporary suits. Yin did not look pleased with the two men on either side of him.

 With a raised eyebrow and a side-glance toward Yin he glared at Fei. "Why are you here Liu? Are you accompanying one of your lackeys? Did you have a hand in the destruction of my warehouses?"

 Returning the glare he tersely replied, "Arson is not my style, you know that Asami. I'm here because I caught this worthless piece of trash about to leave China for parts unknown. He's done me dirty too, but not as severely as he has done to you. He had all the funds from his triad while taking none of them with him. He was leaving them high and dry, pawns to take the blame when all the underhanded doings got discovered. I felt that he needed to attend the special meeting you conveniently arranged for him first, before he took his vacation."

 One look at Yin confirmed all that Fei had detailed was truth. Evidently he hadn't known of the cooperation between Asami and Baishe. His whole body shook, he had paled to almost white, and his legs looked like they wouldn't hold him up much longer. "You seem to have the bad luck to take on two very strong organizations. It looks like I will have to change your vacation plans. I have some very select accommodations on the waterfront that you'll be staying in, but don't worry, it won't be for too long."

At a command from Asami the conference room doors opened and Suoh entered with his men. Asami turned and said, "Take him to his new lodgings. I'll see to him later; just make him 'comfortable' and keep him entertained until I arrive."

 Asami turned to Liu and spoke sincerely. "It seems I owe you for your assistance. You have my sincere thanks for bringing him to me. Are you staying in town long? I would like us to have dinner tonight to discuss what to do with his men that I have confined. Some I believe are just hired help, mainly the Japanese workers, but others have to be triad members. Perhaps you will have some sway with them."

 Fei thought for a moment then smiled. "I think that is agreeable. Would it be possible to have dinner at your place? I know that Akihito is an excellent cook and I haven't seen him for a while." Again a smile occupied his face, but it was one that worried Asami. He hadn't forgotten about the airport kiss.

 Tamping down his anger and jealousy he sharply replied, "As long as you behave yourself." He quickly sent a text to Akihito to expect Fei and Yoh for dinner.

 The smile on Fei's face widened. "But of course; I always do. Now shall we go see to the entertainment of your new guest?"

 #=#=#=#=#

 Akihito had prepared a rather unique meal for the four of them; it was a mix of Chinese and Japanese cuisine - various foods from dim sum to sushi. Dinner went well but Fei seemed to be goading Ryuichi by paying a bit more attention to Akihito than necessary. This did not escape Ryuichi's attention, or that of Yoh. Several concerned looks were exchanged between Akihito and Yoh, both fearing that the other two would erupt in one of their infamous arguments.

 Ryuichi suddenly wanted Fei out of his home as soon as possible and stood, inviting Fei to his office area to discuss the fate of Yin's men. Once that was done he could see him to the door. There was no reason to allow him to spend the night; he could find a nice hotel somewhere - far from Akihito.

While the two crimelords settled in Asami's office to discuss the future of Yin's men Yoh and Akihito started clearing the remnants of dinner. Yoh had apologized to Akihito after the airport incident and they had been on good terms since then. Both knew that there was some issues that needed to be discussed between their significant others, but there was little they could do to eliminate those issues.

 Suddenly the quiet was broken by shouting coming from the office. From the few words they could understand both Akihito and Yoh knew they had rekindled the animosity that always lay just under the surface. Akihito had heard enough - he would settle this once and for all. He grabbed Yoh's arm, guiding him along as he went to the office door and opened it, surprising the two men inside.

 Akihito was very angry and it showed. "Why can't you two behave yourselves like adults? Every time you both deteriorate to playground fighting and I've had enough! Neither of you will leave this room until you seriously discuss your problems with each other and try to make peace. Yoh and I will be outside the door, armed if necessary, to make you comply."

 At that Akihito slammed the door and turned to Yoh. "I assume you are with me on this? I know that I've had enough; how many years have they been bickering like this?" He gathered two chairs from the dining area and placed them in front of the door, offering Yoh the other seat.

 "Thanks." Yoh sighed and sat down. "They've been like this for as long as I've been with the both of them, and that's quite a while. Whatever started it was before I came on the scene; something else happened between them other than the shootings. Fei rarely speaks of anything that happened back then. I know it was a rough time for him. And I know that Fei has an unrequited love for Asami; that's something I can't remedy."

 Akihito looked at Yoh, seeing the hurt reflected in his eyes. He knew that Yoh loved Fei but he also knew that Yoh understood all too well that he only held second place in Fei's heart. He knew the love was unrequited but it still hurt; Ryuichi had no interest in Fei whatsoever - his heart belonged to Akihito alone. And Fei's intermittent attentions to Yoh only pushed the knife deeper.

 Inside the office two men glared at each other, neither knowing who had raised their ire more, the one sitting across from him, or the two lovers outside the door. Finally Asami broke the silence with a stifled laugh. Fei Long glared, the look demanding to know what was so humorous about the current situation.

 "It seems our lovers have finally had enough of our temper outbursts, enough to threaten to arm themselves and force us to come to an understanding. Perhaps it is best to finally put to rest our differences since they are no longer confined to just the two of us." Ryuichi lit a cigarette, slowly exhaling the smoke upward so to not bother Fei.

 "If it helps, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset your birthday; I never expected Tao to hear much less repeat what I said."

 Fei was stunned and just sat there staring at Ryuichi, unable to form a response to his comment.

 Ryuichi gauged Fei's reaction and continued. "I don't think you have an icy heart any more. Watching you with Yoh shows that he melted your heart long ago, it's just taken you a while to begin to realize it."

 "What we had, no, what I did in the past was just to get you through those difficult times. You were young, naive - your worst experience sexually was at the hands of your brother. The thought of losing your father created a large void to fill should he die - you were overly concerned that there would be no one to love you. You had no one; you were terribly confused by all the events going on, and misinterpreted what you felt that night. I share the blame for that, but at the time it WAS what you needed." He extinguished the cigarette in the crystal ashtray on his desk.

 Fei set an intense gaze on Ryuichi. "I realize that, and have finally come to terms with my own conclusions. I held on to foolish notions of love that weren't there on either of our parts. As you said, it was a time of terrifying confusion for me and I had no outlet. The only reason I continue to torment you by paying more attention to Akihito than necessary is because you still see fit to label my sexual status as frigid. I assure you it is not - I'd rather you didn't but you could ask Yoh. He still feels the shadow of your presence when we are alone, and I will have to remedy that as soon as possible. That said, if you consent to end your derogatory remarks I will view Akihito just as a dear friend that I know he is, not as a means to get even. Do we have an agreement?"

 "Of course, my dear fiery Fire Dragon. Now let's rejoin our partners; they must be getting bored out there, trying to eavesdrop on our conversation."

 Ryuichi started for the door then paused to turn toward Fei. "Next year invite Akihito and me to your birthday party, or better yet, we will organize one for you. I think we could arrange to have a bit more fun, and nothing blue. Pink perhaps; yes, that would suit you better...."

 Fei's fan ever so narrowly missed the back of Ryuichi's head when he ducked.


	4. Birthday Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for a meme prompt in the Club Sion Community for Fei Long Liu's birthday that spanned four weeks.  
> Week four required the use of four words [fall, earth, Yoh, yellow] and mention Fei's birthday.

**Birthday Confessions**

 Ryuichi and Fei readied to leave the office only to find their lovers seated just outside the door, blocking their exit. Akihito and Yoh quickly stood, moving the chairs aside so the two other men could leave the room.

 Akihito glared at the two men. "Have you two decided to act like adults?" He had heard the thump on the door just before it opened and noticed as Fei stooped to pick up his fan. He had evidently thrown it at Ryuichi as they were about to leave the room. He silently wondered what his lover had said to prompt Fei to toss his fan at him, especially since Ryuichi was still lightly chuckling.

Still smiling Ryuichi put his arm around Akihito and replied, "Yes, I apologized for my comment overheard by Tao and we talked a bit about a few other problems that needed to be discussed. I think things will be better from now on." He turned and looked at Fei. "Isn't that right, princess?"

 Fei tightly clenched his fan in his hand until his knuckles turned white before he looked toward Akihito, a scowl on his face. Through clenched teeth he replied, "It's fine, we've settled _most_ of our differences. But he's still a very crass, uncouth, impertinent specimen of a man." He then moved toward Yoh and added in a low tone of voice, "You have nothing to worry about with that philistine," as he gave his hand a squeeze; Yoh chuckled.

Ryuichi announced that the improved relationship called for a drink and headed for the bar; the rest followed. The conversation for the rest of the evening centered on non-important, non-crimelord things, and was lively and friendly. They passed several hours catching up on events that had happened over the past few months and rehashing a few good memories but soon everyone was feeling the length of the day. For the two crimelords it had been a very long, exhausting day - coming up with new and interesting forms of torture isn't easy.

 Both Fei and Yoh excused themselves to return to their hotel; they would meet with the detained triad workers from Yin's warehouses tomorrow. Asami had agreed to hire on any of the Japanese workers that chose to work for him while the Baishe leader would inform the triad members exactly what their ex-leader had done and weed out which ones would honestly agree to join Baishe. Both Fei and Yoh retained the right whether to accept their willingness to work for the triad; both were exceptionally good at sniffing out foes. One of the Baishe commercial ships was currently docked and those that were to join with Baishe would be transported back to their homeland and Baishe training compounds when it sailed. The others were left to their own devices as to how to get home.

 It took both leaders less than two days to pick out the moles that remained; those members who decided that if they couldn't spy on the one triad group they would continue their espionage with this new group. Those that intended on bringing down Asami found themselves missing their dominant [weapon] hand as they were unceremoniously returned to their original group bound and gagged in a burlap bag. Those that Liu found weren't so lucky; they went back to their original triad in a wooden box with the Liu insignia burned into the lid.

 Fei and Yoh were kept busy over the summer integrating the new recruits into the Baishe system. Most of the new personnel were quite happy to be with Baishe but a few were ousted and told not to return under penalty of death. It wasn't that they were disloyal, they were just not cut out for the type of lifestyle and strict regulations the Liu group lived by. Their presence was a threat to the group.

Thus said, summer faded into fall all too quickly, and his private talk with Yoh had been postponed until later, much later. Tao's birthday was near the end of September and of course he wanted a party. Since the weather was still quite warm Fei rented an amusement park for Tao and his friends from school. Of course most of the personnel in the park were Baishe members, but Fei felt much safer with the added protection. Watching from a security center he smiled as his young charge played happily with his schoolmates. The only regret Tao had was that Akihito couldn't get free of work to attend.

 As he watched his mind wandered back to his birthday party, the first one he ever had. Tao had insisted that he needed one, that it was a offense to Fei-sama that he never was able to be happy on his birthday and have a cake with candles to blow out. A smile slid over his features as he recalled the dreadful dinner; it was tasty but the visual aspect lacked any sort of appetizing appeal. He recalled Tao anxiously holding the gift box that contained the striking blue dragon figurine. Although it looked so cold, it was amazingly beautiful. It currently rested in a place of honor in his study where the sun could strike the glass and refract the colors to scatter about the room. He had gotten Tao his own dragon this time, a beautiful white dragon statuette clenching a snake in its talons. Along with more video games than one could imagine.

 After the birthday party had ended Fei and Yoh had traveled to Fei's estate in the north to attend to some local disturbance that had cropped up. Tao returned to the Hong Kong mansion since he had school the next day; he was very tired but also very happy.

 Fei stood on the balcony outside his bedroom, his wool and silk changshan rippling in the brisk autumn breeze, bringing the heady scent of the moist earth from the woods nearby. Being further north, the climate here was much cooler than that in Hong Kong. He watched through the small grove of trees as the sun glowed yellow then orange as it finally descended to below the horizon, as if it were sinking into the earth, leaving only the grey of dusk filtering through the fall-colored foliage. The calmness of the area allowed his mind to travel to other things.

 Yoh's birthday was about six weeks away; he would have to plan something special for him. He owed him that much, even so much more than that. And he would get around to having that vital talk that had been delegated wrongly to the 'get to it later' file in his mind. He had done Yoh so many wrongs that he had much to make up for. Even when he felt that Yoh had betrayed him he could not kill him; he knew deep in his heart that Yoh would never truly betray or cause him harm, regardless of how bad the circumstances looked. Whatever Yoh had done was in Fei's best interests and for his well being. He would make his birthday the start of their new beginning, a more honest start with no misconceptions.

#=#=#=#=#

 Yoh was concerned. Fei had summoned him and told him to delegate his duties to his underlings for the next two days, stating that it was imperative for him to be with him during that time. "Where are we going Fei-sama?" He had asked several times before and so far hadn't gotten a satisfactory answer.

 It was mid-afternoon as they stood in Fei's study, Fei dressed in a suit that rivaled those worn by Asami, his hair gathered at the nape with a decorative hairclip. He gathered his briefcase before signaling for Yoh to follow him. "I have an important meeting to attend and you must accompany me." He strode out the door, leaving Yoh to follow and close it behind him.

 Being the head of security as well as Fei's personal bodyguard Yoh had checked to see what was on the agenda. There were no meetings scheduled in any of Fei's appointment books, although today and the next day were marked 'Do Not Schedule'. He didn't like the fact that Fei had arranged something without allowing him to assess that everything was secure, and he hadn't mentioned the name of whom he was meeting. Without having any previous warning and no information whatsoever he would have to be on his toes with this assignment. He knew that due to Fei's belligerence continuing to question him would not supply any of the answers he needed, so he found himself by his side in silence as they rode to one of the upper floors of the 5-star hotel.

 Fei strode gracefully from the elevator, moving toward the only door in the hallway. As he put the card key in the reader Yoh took hold of the doorknob and said, "Let me make sure everything is safe." What he didn't expect was for Fei to grasp his wrist painfully and state that he was going in first.

 Fei entered quickly and Yoh followed close behind, alert for any thing out of place. It was just before nightfall so there would be some light in the suite to aid in his search for any complications. But once again Fei grabbed his wrist as he started to move into the suite, but this time he flung him back against the door, causing it to close quite loudly. Yoh was completely at a loss as to his boss' behavior.

 "You know, you are the hardest person I know to surprise. I had more difficulties arranging this because I didn't want you to find out." Fei's eyes flashed with an emotion not normally shown by the man. Sliding his arms around the startled man he leaned forward and kissed him deeply, allowing his tongue to trace and tease Yoh's lips before he entered his slightly open mouth and proceeded to take charge of the situation.

 Once he had thoroughly left Yoh breathless and confused he moved close to Yoh's ear, nibbled on his neck and earlobe as he whispered, "Happy Birthday Yoh," as his hands slid further down his back to pull him a bit closer.

 Having finally figured out what Fei had been up to Yoh pulled the man tightly to him and returned the kiss he had been given with more passion. When he broke the kiss he just grinned and said, "Thank you, and I take it that we're to be here for the next two days?"

 Fei smiled. "The rest of today and all day tomorrow. We'll leave the next morning. Think you can handle me for that long a time?" He placed his fingers under Yoh's chin while giving him a light kiss. He thought he heard a low growl from Yoh as he slipped from his arms and moved toward the small bar in the suite.

 Yoh followed him, still with questions in his mind. He accepted the glass of champagne that Fei offered and asked, "So what do you have planned for my birthday? You must have something special in mind. Or are we just staying here in our room and getting re-acquainted?"

 Fei looked at him with mischief in his eyes. "I have no plans other than to keep you satisfied. So whatever you wish to do...." Fei's eyes glowed with a devilment that he rarely allowed to be seen, and he knew that it was causing all sorts of reactions in Yoh's body. "To aid in that goal I've brought us a few changes of clothing, various toiletries, other things that we will need. Do you have any problems with that?"

 Yoh knew that he was in for an interesting stay. "None whatsoever. But perhaps we should have dinner first, to bolster our energies? I don't think we will want to interrupt our activities for something so ordinary as food."

 "Most certainly, I intend to treat you to a special birthday dinner. But I personally will supply the dessert if you don't mind." Fei was once again nibbling on Yoh's earlobe while running his hand down from his chest to his groin. Yoh moaned as he pressed back against the insistent palm slowly massaging his body. He didn't know what had come over his boss and sometimes lover. Granted his moods were mercurial but he hoped that this one lasted the next two days.

 While Yoh showered Fei ordered the meal and arranged that it would arrive about when he finished his shower. When Yoh exited the bathroom he was wearing one of the complimentary terry robes supplied by the hotel. It was long but since Yoh was taller than the average citizen it didn't quite reach his ankles. When Fei saw him he mentally noted that next time he would bring a more befitting robe for him. Not that he would be wearing it for long, mind you.

 The meal arrived soon after Fei finished his shower and Yoh stepped into the bedroom to let him know that dinner had arrived. He stopped just as he entered the room; Yoh's attention had shifted from the meal waiting in the other room to the meal now standing before him. No matter what he wore, Fei was beautiful.

 With his hair wet he was even more delectable. He closed his eyes for a few moments to bring his mind back to the current situation. Fei stood drying his hair dressed in one of his trademark cheongsams. This one was a pale yellow with black embroidery that drew floating flowers and a garden scene that graced the hemline and edges of the sleeves. The damp strands of hair that slipped down the cheongsam blended with the black of the embroidery, as if trying to join with the decoration. The dampness of his body caused the silk to cling, proving without a doubt that there was no other article of clothing being worn.

 Yoh reluctantly pulled his thoughts back to the reason he entered the room. "Dinner is here. Shall we eat before it grows cold?" His eyes were drawn again to the beautiful strands running down his lover's frame, watching him casually run the brush through them. "And I'll help you with your hair after dinner since Tao isn't here."

Dinner was superb, one could not ask for a better meal. The conversation centered on the food itself, with comparisons to other restaurants and hotels, either here or in foreign countries. Once they had finished Yoh wheeled the serving cart with the dirty dishes out to the hall so they would not be disturbed when they came to collect them. When he reentered the suite Fei was in the bedroom sitting at the vanity, waiting to have his hair combed and styled. The barrette that had previously held his hair lie on the tabletop in front of him.

 Yoh stood behind Fei, watching him in the mirror as he combed his hair. His eyes were partially closed. He loved playing with Fei's hair; there was just something so sensual about running his hands through the silken strands. For a man Fei had the most alluring hair he had ever touched. He pulled several strands of hair back and clipped them into the barrette Fei handed him.

 He had given him the barrette for his birthday. It depicted a rampant dragon and was crafted from several different metals. He knew Fei was a complex being so he had the jeweler use gold, silver, and platinum with a few scattered rare and exotic stones to create the piece, to show all the nuances that ran through his lovely dragon. One lone precious metal or stone could not adequately describe his Fei. And here, set against the obsidian strands, the jewelry just glowed; he was surprised but delighted that Fei had brought only that as his ornamentation

 Yoh still had his fingers in Fei's hair, caressing the long locks. "When I first met you your hair was short, referring to Fei's time in prison. "I'm glad you decided to allow it to grow; it becomes you, defines you." His hands slid slowly to his shoulders, then down his arms lightly while he planted a kiss on the top of Fei's head.

Fei looked into the mirror on the dressing table, watching Yoh. There was no doubt about the feelings Yoh had for him; he just had to let him know that those feelings were mutual. He leaned into the loving touches and reached over to clasp one of Yoh's hands. "Father loved my hair too, and had me keep it long."

 Yoh moved to Fei's side, leaned over him, and took his lips in a meaningful kiss, which was eagerly returned. Fei slowly stood so he could wrap his arms around his lover and pull him closer. Soon the two of them were tightly enclosed in each other's arms. Kisses moved from lips to earlobes and necks and fingers roamed to seek out those pleasure points that so precisely stimulated their partner.

"Shall we take this to the bed? I have waited far to long to hold you as I want." He guided Yoh to the bed, coaxing him down and settling beside him, their clothing lie forgotten on the floor, somehow lost on the short trip to the bed. The closeness accentuated the reactions between them, and soon they found themselves locked in loving caresses, each one giving the other what stirred their passions the most.

 Fei's lips and teeth traveled over Yoh's body like he was a tray of hors d'oeuvres, sampling every inch. He touched every erogenous point on Yoh's body, leaving him breathless and waiting for more.

 But Yoh had been just as busy seeking out Fei's favorite spots, and soon he had settled on the hidden opening that was already twitching and expecting a grand entrance. As he looked down on the man now below him he hoped that one day this could be their future, that Fei would come to love him as much as he loved Fei. Maybe he could forget Asami and set his eyes only on him, though he feared that the other man had been in Fei's heart a bit too long.

 He carefully prepared him and soon he was ready to be taken. The pleasure he felt as he slid into the heated body overwhelmed him. They continued, both having several orgasms before they collapsed beside each other, worn out by the excessive action. Fei was covered in his own semen while Yoh's dripped out of his body. Seeing the leakage Yoh went to collect towels and a washcloth to clean up his spent lover. He also brought over his comb to neaten up the silken mane once Fei had recovered.

 After a short nap Fei sat up and allowed Yoh to reset his hair. Once he had finished returning Fei's hair to a much neater state Yoh pulled up the covers across their waists and wrapped his arms around Fei, holding him tightly. Fei pressed his back against Yoh's chest, enjoying the comfort of the hold.

 Fei was first to break the comfortable silence. "I've waited too long to confess, to have this talk with you. You've suffered from my indifference and I mean to remedy that. I have to tell you what exactly was between Asami and myself. I know you feel that he holds a higher place in my heart than you do, but you are mistaken. He no longer holds any place in my heart - you have usurped that position and made it only yours."

 Yoh was shocked at the words coming from Fei. Did he have hope that Fei did love him, fully and truly?

 "Asami once told me that 'unnecessary emotions have no place in my business - they only get in the way.' but I somehow neglected to remember that. It took too many years to finally realize that I was a young, naive fool at that time. But now I find that those pesky emotions have staked a claim once again, but this time for you. I wanted to deny them but it isn't possible. Those words may have been true in the past, but I know it is possible to have both. Even Asami has proven that with Takaba."

 With a deep breath he continued. "He made love to my body and my mind, but not to me. Then he left without a word. I was the only one that thought I, Fei Long Liu the person, was included in the pleasure he bestowed upon me." Fei grew silent for a while and Yoh waited for him to continue; he knew that he would. This had been on his conscience for too long and he knew he finally had to let it go, but he would do it at his pace.

 Yoh caressed his back as he waited, but his mind was tortured by his statements. He knew of Asami's sexual appetite, and although his mind tried desperately not to allow his voice to emerge, he asked, in nothing more than a whisper, "How far did he go?"

 Fei turned his body in Yoh's arms, and facing Yoh gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. Without breaking his gaze with Yoh he answered his fearful question. "He made love to me with his lips and hands, from the top of my head all the way to my toes, touching every inch of skin in between. He coaxed the most exquisite orgasm out of me that I had ever had up to that point, but he went no further - there was no penetration." With a sad smile he added, "He never even removed his tie."

 After bestowing another kiss on Yoh's lips Fei shifted until once again sat with his back against Yoh. He leaned his head back, resting it beside Yoh's cheek, and wrapped is hands over Yoh's, caressing them softly. "He consoled me, tried to calm down my fears of my father's impending death warning, cautioned me that the whole episode of father dying might be a ruse by my brother, and left."

 Fei shuddered as if he were cold. "Foolishly I went back to the house only to be captured by my brother and confined to a storeroom. When I heard the shots I shouted out and some of the staff heard and released me. I ran only to find my brother wounded in the hall, blaming Asami for shooting him and insinuating that he had also shot my father. I ran to my father only to find that indeed Yan's words were true - he had been fatally shot. Only much later on did I remember that one of the last things my father did tell me was that Yan shot him - when he asked me to forgive him."

 Fei turned and placed his arms around Yoh's neck. "I couldn't think of a better gift to give you. For far too long you've been under the assumption that I loved Asami - I do not. Right now there is no room in my heart for anyone but you. We've gone through too much together not to see that we have something special between us. I love you Yoh; I should have said this long ago, rather than have you suffer thinking that you weren't foremost in my thoughts."

 Yoh pulled the man tightly to his chest and kissed him with such passion that Fei gave no resistance. He was just happy to be in this man's arms, to give him his body, to accept all the love he wanted to give him. And to give all his love in return. With a whisper of "I love you Fei" he slowly slid them down onto the sheets once again.

 And they did exchange their love in words and in actions until the sun came up. And even a bit longer after that before sleep and exhaustion finally claimed them.

 


End file.
